Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires

Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo, and Lucchese. For decades these Five Families ruled New York and built the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire. Today, the Mafia is an endangered species, battered and beleaguered by aggressive investigators, incompetent leadership, betrayals, and generational changes that produced violent, unreliable leaders and recruits.

I Heard You Paint Houses

Soon to be a major film directed by Martin Scorsese. "I heard you paint houses" are the first words Jimmy Hoffa ever spoke to Frank 'the Irishman' Sheeran. To paint a house is to kill a man. The paint is the blood that splatters on the wall and floors.

In the course of nearly five years of recorded interviews, Frank Sheeran confessed to Charles Brandt that he handled more than 25 hits for the Mob and for his friend Hoffa.

American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road Drugs Empire

From New York Times best-selling author Nick Bilton comes a true-life thriller about the rise and fall of Ross Ulbricht, aka the Dread Pirate Roberts, the founder of the online black market Silk Road. In 2011, Ulbricht, a 26-year-old libertarian idealist and former Boy Scout, launched 'a website where people could buy anything anonymously, with no trail whatsoever that could lead back to them'. He called it Silk Road, opened for business on the Dark Web, and christened himself the Dread Pirate Roberts.

Essex Boys: The Final Word: No More Myths, No More Lies - The Definitive Story

On December 6, 1995, three key members of the infamous Essex Boys gang were lured to a deserted farm track on the pretense of planning a robbery. As the trio sat in their Range Rover, two gunmen approached the open rear door of the vehicle. Moments later, the first shots rang out signaling the start of a swift, yet bloody massacre. When the weapons fell silent, the three men lay dead.

American Desperado: My Life as a Cocaine Cowboy

American Desperado is possibly the most jaw-dropping, event-filled, adrenaline-soaked criminal autobiography ever written. Like a real-life Scarface Jon was born into the upper levels of the Gambino crime family and witnessed his first murder at age seven. He became a one-man juvenile crime wave before joining an assassination squad in Vietnam.

Gangsters and Goodfellas

"In 1980, my life as a 'Goodfella' came to an end... I traded my Brioni and Armani suits for T-shirts and jeans. I became a normal citizen. I became Joe Schmoe," says Henry Hill, author of Gangsters and Goodfellas and subject of Wiseguy, which was the inspiration for the blockbuster film Goodfellas. After a quarter of a century of silence, Hill can finally tell us the rest of the story, Gangsters and Goodfellas picks up where Wiseguy left off, taking readers on the crazy ride of Henry's life....

Operation Relentless: The Hunt for the Richest, Deadliest Criminal in History

The new best seller from the author of Zero Six Bravo. By 2007 Viktor Bout had become the world's foremost arms dealer. Known as the Merchant of Death, he was both public enemy number one to the global intelligence agencies and a ruthless criminal worth around $6 billion. For years Bout had eluded capture, meanwhile building up a labyrinthine network of airlines selling weapons to order to dictators, rebels, despots and terror groups worldwide.

Good Cop, Bad War

As an undercover police officer with the drugs squad, Neil Woods regularly risked his life on the streets, dealing with some of the most violent and unpredictable criminals in Britain. Good Cop, Bad War is a unique story about a man with a striking ability to infiltrate and extinguish drug gangs but who, as the success of his operations grows, becomes disillusioned with the war on drugs, as he sees how it demonizes those who need help whilst empowering the very worst elements in society.

The Infiltrator

Robert Mazur spent five years undercover infiltrating the criminal hierarchy of Colombia's drug cartels. The dirty bankers and businessmen he befriended knew him as Bob Musella, a wealthy, mob-connected big shot living the good life. Together they partied in expensive hotels, drank the world's finest champagnes, drove Rolls-Royce convertibles and flew in private jets. But under Mazur's designer suits and hidden away in his quality briefcase, recorders whirred quietly.

A Criminal and an Irishman: The Inside Story of the Boston Mob - IRA Connection

A Criminal and an Irishman is the story of Pat Nee's life as an Irish immigrant and Southie son, a Marine, a convicted IRA gun smuggler, and a former violent rival and then associate of Whitey Bulger. His narrative transports the listener into the criminal underworld, inside planning and preparation for an armored car heist, inside gang wars and revenge killings.

Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss

Drawing on a trove of sealed files and previously classified material, Whitey digs deep into the mind of James J. "Whitey" Bulger, the crime boss and killer who brought the FBI to its knees. He is an American original - a psychopath who fostered a following with a frightening mix of terror, deadly intimidation, and the deft touch of a politician who often helped a family in need meet their monthly rent.

Deal with the Devil: The FBI's Secret Thirty-Year Relationship with a Mafia Killer

In Deal with the Devil, five-time Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter Peter Lance draws on once-secret FBI files and exclusive new interviews to disclose the epic saga of Colombo family capo Gregory Scarpa, Sr., who spent more than 30 years as a paid Top-Echelon FBI informant while wreaking havoc as a drug dealer, loan shark, bank robber, hijacker, high-end securities thief - and killer. A Mafia capo who "stopped counting" after 50 murders, Greg Scarpa was enlisted by the FBI as early as 1960.

Hunting Hitler's Nukes: The Secret Race to Stop the Nazi Bomb

In the Spring of 1940, as Britain reeled from defeats on all fronts and America seemed frozen in isolation, one fear united the British and American leaders like no other: the Nazis had stolen a march on the Allies towards building the atomic bomb. So began the hunt for Hitler's nuclear weapons - nothing else came close in terms of priorities. It was to be the most secret war of those wars fought amongst the shadows. The highest stakes. The greatest odds.

Mafia Prince: Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra

Mafia Prince is the first-person account of one of the most violent eras in Mafia history - "Little" Nicky Scarfo’s reign as boss of the Philly family in the 1980s - written by Scarfo’s underboss and nephew, "Crazy" Phil Leonetti. The youngest-ever underboss at the age of 31, Leonetti was at the crux of the violent downfall of the traditional American Mafia in the 1980s when he infiltrated Atlantic City after gambling was legalized, and later turned state’s evidence against his own.

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.

Chin: The Life and Crimes of Mafia Boss Vincent Gigante

Vincent "Chin" Gigante. He started out as a professional boxer - until he found his true calling as a ruthless contract killer. His doting mother's pet name for the boy evolved into his famous alias, "Chin", a nickname that struck fear throughout organized crime as he routinely ordered the murders of mobsters who violated the Mafia code. Vincent Gigante was hand-picked by Vito Genovese to run the Genovese Family when Vito was sent to prison. Chin raked in more than $100 million for the Genovese Family, all while evading federal investigators.

Heist: The True Story of the World's Biggest Cash Robbery

On 22 February 2006, GBP53 million was stolen from a cash warehouse belonging to the Securitas company in Tonbridge, Kent. In terms of value, the robbery puts previous British capers, such as the Great Train Robbery, in the shade. This was a crime notable for its audacity, carried out by an unlikely crew of players that included a used car salesman, two Albanian casual workers and a roofer. Five men were convicted at the Old Bailey in January 2008, which attracted nationwide media coverage.

Hitler's Hangman: The Life of Heydrich

Reinhard Heydrich is widely recognized as one of the great iconic villains of the 20th century, an appalling figure even within the context of the Nazi leadership. Chief of the Nazi Criminal Police, the SS Security Service, and the Gestapo, ruthless overlord of Nazi-occupied Bohemia and Moravia, and leading planner of the "Final Solution," Heydrich played a central role in Hitler's Germany.

The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer

Top Mafia hit man. Doting father. For 30 years, Richard 'the Ice Man' Kuklinski led a double life beyond anything ever seen on The Sopranos, becoming one of the most notorious professional assassins in American history while hosting neighbourhood barbecues in suburban New Jersey. Kuklinski was Sammy 'the Bull' Gravano's partner in the killing of Paul Castellano, John Gotti hired him to kill his neighbour and he was also intimately involved in the killing of Jimmy Hoffa. He conducted this sadistic business with cold-hearted intensity, never disappointing his customers.

A Decent Ride

A rampaging force of nature is wreaking havoc on the streets of Edinburgh, but has top shagger, drug dealer, gonzo-porn star and taxi driver, ‘Juice’ Terry Lawson finally met his match in Hurricane ‘Bawbag’?Can Terry discover the fate of the missing beauty, Jinty Magdalen, and keep her idiot-savant lover, the man-child Wee Jonty, out of prison? Will he find out the real motives of unscrupulous American businessman and reality-TV star Ronald Checker?

Skagboys

Mark Renton has it all: He's good-looking, young, with a pretty girlfriend and a place at university. But there's no room for him in the 1980s.Thatcher's government is destroying working-class communities across Britain, and the post-war certainties of full employment, educational opportunity and a welfare state are gone. When his family starts to fracture, Mark's life swings out of control and he succumbs to the defeatism which has taken hold in Edinburgh's grimmer areas.

Crack House: The Incredible True Story of the Man Who Took On London's Crack Gangs and Won

Crack House takes the listener into the dark heart of our cities' most violent and terrifying places, showing how the war on drugs can only be won by constant and forceful vigilance. The bastard offspring of cocaine, crack first entered the UK in the early 1990s. By the end of the decade, Britain's inner cities were in the midst of a crack epidemic, with users being responsible for a massive proportion of crime. Communities, especially in London, were crying out for help, but there were only two specialist units in the whole of the capital.

Gotti's Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia

The notorious Gotti family is the stuff of mob legend. The "Dapper Don", John Gotti Sr., and his son John A. "Junior" Gotti ran New York's powerful Gambino crime family and were well known for their flamboyant style and brutal ways, an image perpetuated in popular Mafia mythology. John Alite, a mob hit man, associate, and close friend of the Gottis, has a very different story to tell.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Stock market multimillionaire at 26, federal convict at 36, he partied like a rock star, lived like a king, and barely survived his rise and fall as an American entrepreneurial icon. By day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could, on drugs, sex, and international globe-trotting.

Publisher's Summary

In this gritty New York Times best-seller, the true story of a crooked deal between the FBI and the Irish Mob is exposed. By providing a penetrating look into the mean streets of mid-1970s South Boston, the author shows how two kids from the neighborhood cross paths again years later, ending in the biggest informant scandal in FBI history.

Gangsters, cops, FBI, dames and dolls. Good guys (who weren't), bad guys (depending on circumstance and outlook at any moment). Enjoyed it for awhile - 'til it got too long, too much the "same old". Did finally finish the last chapters after several months hiatus. Humanity finds a way to disappoint.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Brigham

23/02/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"The damage of the insider threat"

What does it look like when a member of the legal community shifts his/her allegiance to a criminal power? I give you John Connoly.

Nearly 30 years of criminal activity in South Boston was actively defended by FBI agents. This book thoroughly examines the history as told by two Boston reporters. Research conducted includes eye-witness reports, grand jury testimony, and FBI records. Some may call this book dry. For me, the insights and realities were delivered in a way that was both exciting and informative.

I read this book as another view of what insider threats can do to a person, an organization, and in this case, an entire community. The FBI reputation was devastated. South Boston's very anatomy was changed forever. The criminal underworld gained unprecedented ground.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

robert

winthrop, NY, United States

29/10/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"I never got past the second chapter."

just the facts this book is a man reading basically history and not a very exciting way narrators tone did little to help this information because it couldn't be considered a novel.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

John L. Mahan

Boston, MA

18/06/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent!"

Well written and performed. Of all the books out there on Bulger, this is one of the best.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Kevin

SCOTTSVILLE, VA, United States

24/01/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Informative and Well Done"

Where does Black Mass rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Above average

Who was your favorite character and why?

Whitey because he was what every lover of organized crime books wants to read about

What about John Rubinstein and Christopher Evan Welch ’s performance did you like?

It was well done and well read. That seems like something all audio books have, but it is NOT.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing exreme. Just well done.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Brooke

12/05/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Loved this book!"

I thought this book was not only captivating, but enjoyable, well thought out, and informative. I am obsessed with crime stories and I loved this book. I will be listening to it again. The authors did a fantastic job!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Kindle Customer

31/08/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent book marred by poor narration"

Loved the book, hated the overdone narration. The quotes from the principals are in an annoying, Hollywood wise guy tone that doesn't even hresemble the nasal accent of South Boston. They shouldn't have tried.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Nicole

03/02/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"slow, dull"

Would you try another book from Gerard O'Neill and Dick Lehr and/or John Rubinstein and Christopher Evan Welch ?

No

Has Black Mass turned you off from other books in this genre?

yes

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was the best part of this book

What character would you cut from Black Mass?

I am not sure

Any additional comments?

This was not as exciting as I had exspected

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

laineybug

10/05/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Interesting Story - can't wait to see the movie"

I love "true stories" that are made into books & movies. the narrator did a good job with keeping his voice in such a way the story gets boring or mundane.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

David

16/02/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"ready for the movie"

was good easy to follow afterand the narrator did a swell job.I've listened to many other mafia based and I've learned more about CNL

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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